Apparatus for recording and reproducing sounds



Jan. 26, 1937. L. PQ DURAND .ET AL APPARATUS FOR RECORDING AND REPRODUCING SOUNDS Filed Sept. 17, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 26, 1937. L. P. DURAND ET A1.

APPARATUS FOR RECORDING AND REPRODUCING SOUNDS File'i Sept. 17, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 26, 1937 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR RECORDING AND REPRO- DUCING SOUNDS Louis Paul Durand and Pier Carlo Ricchiardi,

Paris, France 7 Claims.

There exists apparatus intended to be used both for recording and reproducing sounds in which a single pick-up is employed for these two different functions.

Now these two different functions compel the person that is using the apparatus to make the following multiple operations:

1. To modify the weight of the pick-up;

2. To operate the clutch mechanism through which the arm of the pick-up can be coupled with the driving mechanism;

3. To operate the contactor that controls the recording and reproducing circuits.

'I'hese multiple operations complicate the use of the apparatus and the person that is using the apparatus mayk make mistakes which, in particular, may impair the recording.

The object of the present invention is to obviate these drawbacks and to provide an apparatus of the type above referred to including a single organ for controlling the electrical and mechanical characteristics of the pick-up in either of its recording and reproducing functions, thus avoiding any risk of a mistake of the person that is using the apparatus.

According to a feature of the invention, this single operating organ controls, on the one hand, the clutch device associated with the driving arm of the pick-up, and, on the other hand, an electric switch capable of connecting the pick-up either with the recording circuit (radio transmission, microphcnic current, telephonie line, etc.) or with the reproduction circuit (amplifier and loud speaker).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the single operating organ is combined with an adjusting organ which varies the weight of the pick-up in accordance with the function that is to be performed by the apparatus (sound recording or reproduction), whereby the pick-up is always placed in the physical condition that corresponds to its maximum eiciency in either of its two functions.

Other features of the present invention will result from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, given merely by way of example, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view, partly in section, of an apparatus including a pickup adapted to be used both for recording sounds on phonographic discs and for reproducing said sounds;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the clutch mechanism of the arm of the pick-up;

Figs. 3 and 4 are two diagrammatical views of the single operating organ shown in two different positions respectively, corresponding to the reproducing function and the recording function, respectively, of the pick-up.

The apparatus shown in the drawings includes a motor I the shaft 2 of which drives a circular plate 3 carrying the phonographic disc 4. The 10 unreccrded phonographic discs on which sounds are to be recorded are preferably rigidly fixed to circular plate 3 by means of a nut 5 adapted to be screwed on the upper end of shaft 2.

Shaft 2 also controls, through an endless screw E and a helical gear i, a driving screw 8 intended to produce the radial displacement of the pick-up with respect to the phonographic disc, as it will be hereinafter described.

The arm Iii of the pick-up 9 is hinged to a pivot I I having a vertical axis, in such manner that the head of the pick-up bears, under the action of gravity, upon disc 4.

According to the present invention, a single operating organ automatically ensures the positioning of the pick-up in either of its two functions (recording or reproduction).

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, a cam I5, adapted to be actuated through a small lever i6, cooperates with an oscillating lever I'I the lower end of which is engaged in a notch I8 provided in the rod I9 of the clutch device.

This rod I9 carries a toothed sector 20 and it is normally urged, in the direction of arrow F, toward the driving screw 8, by the action of a spring 2|.

In the position shown by Figs. 1, 2 and 3, cam I5 keeps the oscillating lever I'I in a position in which it opposes the displacement of clutch rod le in the direction of arrow F, so that the toothed sector 2B is out of Contact with the driving screw 8.

In this position, the clutch rod I9, which carries at its rear end a iixed contact 23 connected to the coil of the pick-up, applies this contact 4- against a terminal 24 leading to the reproduction circuit (amplifying tubes and loud speaker). The needle 25 of the pick-up oscillates under the action of the groove of the record 4, and it bears upon this record with a pressure corresponding to the maximum weight of the pick-up.

On the contrary, for recording sounds on an unrecorded disc, the operating lever I6 is rotated in the direction of arrow F1, which causes cam I5 to turn into a position in which it allows 1ever I1 to pivot in the direction of arrow F2. Under the action of its spring 2|, the clutch rod I9 thus released slides in the direction of arrow F.

This movement produces the following results (Fig. 4)

1. The toothed sector 20 is brought into engagement with the driving screw 8;

2. Contact 23 is applied against the terminal 21 leading to the recording circuit (reception of radio transmissions, microphonic current, telephonic lines, etc.)

3. The upper end of the oscillating lever I'I pulls the end of an adjusting spring the other end of which is tied to the arm I0 of the pick-up which reduces the effect of gravity upon the needle of the pick-up. The needle which cuts the sound groove into the unrecorded disc 1s thus greatly relieved and its sound vibrations are substantially improved.

Besides, the end of spring 30 is fixed to a screw 3| screwed in a lug 32 of the arm l0 of the pickup, which makes it possible to adjust accurately the initial tension of spring 30 and to accordingly modify the desiredk effect.

Of course, while we have, in the above description, disclosed what We deem to be a practical and eiiicient embodiment of the present invention, we do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. An apparatus for recording and reproducing sounds which comprises, in combination, a rotary plate arranged to support phonographic discs, a pick-up adapted to bear on a phonographic disc supported by said plate, 'an arm for said pick-up, drivingv means for rotating said plate, distinct -electric circuits for sound recording and reproduction, respectively, mechanical means for coupling said arm with said driving means for radial displacement of the pick-up, and a single operating organ for both bringing said mechanical means into or out of action and electrically connecting said pick-up with either of these two circuits, correspondingly.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 further including means, operative by said single operative organ, for varying the pressure with which the pick-up is applied against a phonographic disc carried by said plate, according as said pickup 'is Vbeing employed for recording yor for reproducing sounds.,

3. An apparatus according to claimV 1 further including means, operative by said single operative organ,v for varying the pressure with which the 'pick-up is applied against a phonographic disc carried by said plate, according as said pickup is being employed for recording or-for reproducing sounds, said means being adjustable.

4. An apparatus for recording and reproducing sounds which comprises, in combination, a rotary plate arranged to support phonographic discs, a pick-up adapted to bear on a phonographic disc supported by said plate, a pivotingV support rotatable about a vertical axis, an arm for said pickupl pivoted to said support about a horizontal axis, a motor for driving said rotary plate, clutch means for coupling said pivoting support with said motor, a cam pivotally mounted in said'pivoting support, a sound recording electric circuit,

a sound reproducing electric circuit, two'terminals carried byy said pivoting support connected with said circuits respectively, a contact Vmovably carried by said support electrically connected with said pick-up, and means operatively controlled by said cam for simultaneously bringing said clutch means into or out of action and switching said contact from one of these terminals to the other one.

5. An apparatusL for recording and reproducing sounds which comprises, in combination, a rotary plate arranged to support phonographic discs, a pick-up adaptedV to bear on a phonographic disc carried by said plate, a pivoting support rotatable about a vertical axis, an arm for said pick-upy pivoted to said support about a horizontal axis, a motor for driving said rotary plate, a screw operatively connected with said motor so as to be rotated by it about its axis without moving parallelly to said axis, a rod slidable in said pivoting support at right angles to the axis thereof, a toothed sector at the end of said rod adapted' to mesh with said screw, said rod being provided with a notch, a lever pivotally carried by said support having one end engaged in said notch, a cam pivotally mounted in said support adapted to cooperate with said lever so as to maintain it in either of two positions, one for which the sector carried by said rod is kept out of contact with said screw and the other-for which said sector is allowed to mesh with said screw, a sound recording electric circuit, a sound reproducing electric circuit, two terminals cariried by said pivoting support electrically connect-V ed with said circuits respectively, and a contact carried by said rod adapted to be applied against one or the Yother of Said terminals according as said lever is'in either of said two different positions thereof.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 in which said lever is pivoted about a horizontal axis parallel to the axis about which said pick-up arm is pivoted to said pivoting support, further including a spring xed at one end to said lever and at the other end to said arm, whereby the pressure with which said pick-up bears against a phonographic disc carried by said plate varies according to the position of said lever.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5 in which said lever is pivoted about a horizontal axis parallel to the axis about which said pick-up arm is pivoted to said pivoting support, further includingja spring xed at one end to said lever, and means'for adjustably fixing the other end ofV said spring to said pick-up arm, whereby the pressure with which said pick-upv bears against a phonographic disc carriedby saidplate variesaccording to the position of said lever, and the values of said vpressures for said respective positions can be adjusted at will. 

